April 29, 2021 UPDATE: The dognappers have been caught, including the “good Samaritan” (yeah, right) who turned in Lady Gaga’s stolen French Bulldogs. The five losers are all being held on charges including attempted murder.
Feb. 26, 2021 UPDATE: Koji and Gustave have been found unharmed! Last night an unidentified woman brought Lady Gaga’s two stolen French Bulldogs to a downtown LAPD station. The LAPD said the woman wasn’t involved with the shooting or dognapping. Those creeps are still at large, and it’s not yet known whether the woman will receive the $500,000 reward. In more good news, although he was shot in the chest with a semi-automatic handgun (!), dogwalker Ryan Fischer is expected to make a full recovery.
When my local KABC Eyewitness News reported the disturbing news last night that someone with a semi-automatic handgun had shot a man walking three French Bulldogs in Hollywood and then stole two of the dogs, my heart went out to the victim and the owner of the stolen dogs.
It turns out the owner of those Frenchies — Koji, Gustav and Miss Asia — is Lady Gaga. The victim is Ryan Fischer, her dogwalker.
When paramedics arrived at the crime scene, Fischer was conscious and still managing to hold onto Miss Asia, the dog who wasn’t stolen. In the video below, a police officer can be seen taking and comforting the frightened Frenchie. Fischer was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and, fortunately, is expected to recover from his wounds.
Witnesses say the gunman fled with the dogs in a white Nissan vehicle. Lady Gaga, who is currently filming a movie in Italy, is offering a $500,000 reward for the safe return of Koji and Gustav, no questions asked. The LAPD’s robbery-homicide division is investigating the crime.
It’s not known whether the creep knew he was stealing Lady Gaga’s dogs. An LAPD spokesperson told KABC that thefts of French Bulldogs are on the rise in the city.
Because they’re so popular, expensive and easy to pick up because of their small size, French Bulldogs are among the most stolen dog breeds, Tara Bruno, founder of the Short Noses Only Rescue Team (SNORT), a New Jersey nonprofit that rescues these and other dogs, told PEOPLE.
“Our whole family is upset and praying Koji and Gustavo are not harmed,” Lady Gaga’s dad, Joe Germanotta, told Fox News. “Help us catch these creeps.”
Anyone with information about Koji and Gustav’s whereabouts is asked to email KojiandGustav@gmail.com.
Photo: Justin Higuchi